Mario Kart Tour adds new characters, Tokyo Tour course

Mario Kart Tour has received its first major update, adding a new Tokyo Tour course, set in a cartoon version of Japan’s capital city. Other tracks include the classic Rainbow Road, Kalimari Desert, and more.

In addition, there are new characters such as Baby Rosalina, Roy, Wendy, Iggy, Larry, and Tokyo versions of Mario and Peach. You can check out the trailer below.

As I noted in my review of Mario Kart Tour, Nintendo is gradually adding courses over time. The game started out with the New York Tour, which has now been retired in favor of the new courses. Each tour lasts two weeks before disappearing. This is something Nintendo hopes will get players to keep tuning in regularly.

Mario Kart Tour‘s Tokyo Tour is here

Having played through the Tokyo Tour, I can’t say my opinion has changed too much from my first thoughts. Mario Kart Tour looks and sounds the business, with the colorful graphics and catchy music and sound effects you’d expect from Nintendo.

Where it falls apart is in the gameplay. Simply put, it’s not fun to play. The user never truly feels in control of their kart. The game is loaded with in-app purchases, too. Worst of all is the rubber-banding feature which means that no player is ever able to convincingly break free of the pack. This means is that the game is way too easy. Try as I might, I can’t get below the top four in a race — and that’s when I’m actively sabotaging myself. Attempt to win and you’ll all but guaranteed to do so.

This doesn’t seem to have stopped people being interested in the game, though. According to data from Sensor Tower, Mario Kart Tourracked up 90 million downloads in its first week. That makes it Nintendo’s fastest mobile game launch in history. Should Nintendo continue to unleash new tracks and unlockables, I can see it remaining popular over time.

If you haven’t tried Mario Kart Tour you can download it here. Have you tried it yet? Am I being too harsh or not harsh enough? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.